The Great British Bake Off Musical at The Little Theatre Leicester Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Catherine Brown
‘The Great British Bake Off Musical’ is a hilarious and charming play being performed by LAOS at The Little Theatre, Leicester. Inspired by the successful television series, this stage version, written by Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary, directed by Vaughan Barton-Ashcroft, is a fun show for all the family creating a unique alternative version of the hit series.
The performance begins with an introduction to the lively hosts Jim and Kim who bring a genuine warmth and energy to the show. They then introduce the 8 contestants who are going to battle it out demonstrating their baking skills. I was worried about how this would be squeezed into one evening performance but the lapses in time and eliminations are cleverly dealt with. Finally, we meet the judges Pam Lee (an adorable portrayal by Karen Gordon) and Phil Hollinghurst (Steve Elliott is a brilliant casting as a recognisable silver fox) who balance critique with friendly advice.
The premise of the show is very much like that of the TV programme – there are technical bakes, showstoppers and of course plenty of baking mishaps. As the challenges progress you get to learn more of the back stories of each contestant. One of my favourite characters was Ben played by Russell Carrington who is a self-taught baker following his wife’s death. For this performance Amelie Vickers plays his daughter Lily, who put Ben forward for the show, and together they make a great duo. He develops an endearing friendship with another contestant Gemma, played by Tasha Plummer, which leads to many ‘will they won’t they’ moments.
The set is cleverly designed to represent the Bake Off tent with bunting, SMUG fridge and moving baking stations. The ensemble primarily represent the stage crew of the TV series, however they do get chance to bring an element of fun, especially when supporting Pam or Phil. The musical director Steve Duguid does a fantastic job of using the Bake Off Jingles along with enhancing the solo performances.
Choreography is by Hollie Carrington who has shown it is possible to bake and dance at the same time!
Some of my favourite comedy moments came from the supporting characters such as Dezza (Dan Brewer) a vegan baker who refuses to accept he has to leave. However my star of the show was definitely Pam who portrayed a Prue Leith inspired character brilliantly with lots of inuendo, flirting and of course and extra generously sized cocktail. You don’t have to have watched the television series to enjoy the show however there are lots of inside jokes that will definitely appeal to fans of the original version.
LAOS (Leicester Amateur Operatic Society), affectionally known as ‘The Amateurs’ have been performing in Leicester venues for over 100 years. The Little Theatre has a 350-seat auditorium and a welcoming bar for drinks and snacks. The performance runs for approximately 2hrs 25mins including an interval.
Rating: 5/5
‘The Great British Bake Off Musical’ is at The Little Theatre, Dover Street, Leicester LE1 6PW from 13th -17th October 2026 including a Saturday matinee performance. Tickets from £19.50 can be purchased at thelittletheatre.co.uk or by phoning the box office on 0116 255 1302.